Summary: Rose is being haunted by nightmares that show terrible fates and memories that can't possilby be hers. As his compaion spirals into despair and closer and closer towards the edge of sanity, the Doctor has to discover who or what is haunting Rose and why.
Disclaimer: I still don't own Doctor Who
Thanks to S'rianna for title and to everyone else who helped!
Hope you enjoy!
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Despairs Darkest Destiny
Chapter One
Rose was standing at the top of a flight of dark maple stairs, her thin nightgown floated around her in the breeze that had escaped through the open window giving her a ghostly appearance. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she could feel the blood pumping through her ears as she desperately gasped for breath. The wooden floor was cold under her feet but they still burned as they left bloody footprints down the hallway. Tears burned down her cheeks as she came to a halt at the top of the stairs – the sound of boots pounding on wood echoed throughout the house as Rose hugged the wall praying not to be seen. Her shaking fingers clutched onto the wooden panelling of the wall as she tried to remain standing – her legs were trembling beneath her. Her breath was coming shallow and irregular as she tried not to sob, with each footstep that echoed through the house and into her soul Rose felt another wave of fear and terror crash through her as she knew only one outcome was possible. She closed her eyes and tried to breathe – a large, hot hand grasped her wrist. There was nothing Rose could do but release a soul shattering scream.
'Rose!' the Doctor shouted as he gently shook her trembling body, Roses' eyelids fluttered open – her eyes darting around the room in panic. Tears stained her face and she opened her mouth prepared to scream again
'Rose – it's me. It's the Doctor' he told her gently as she gasped for breath. She blinked away the final shards of her dream and looked up into his worried brown eyes that were studying her anxiously, she looked at him, her hazel eyes darkened by shadows and widened by fear. She watched him for a moment before throwing herself into his arms – he caught her close and held her tightly to his chest. Rose gently cried into his shoulder as her own screams haunted her
'It's okay' the Doctor promised her as he stroked her hair
'I've got you. It was just a dream' he murmured. She nodded but continued to cling to him – she felt so safe in his arms. Several minutes later when the tears had subsided Rose lifted her head from the Doctors chest
'Sorry' she whispered, he smiled gently and stoked her cheeks removing the last reminds of her tears and her nightmares. He smiled down at her
'You gunna be okay?' he asked. She nodded slowly before smirking at the sight of the Doctor in his flannel pyjamas. His hair was ruffled and stood erratically at all angles into the air, his eyes were weary but stil flickered with concern.
'What?' the Doctor asked, a faint smile tugging at his lips
'It's just…' Rose began giggling before patting down his hair. He stared down at her with a mock glare before joining her in her laughter. They sat that way for a few moments before the Doctor stood up – he squeezed Roses' hand and brushed a lock of hair off her face
'You gunna be alright?' he asked gently. She bit her lip and nodded up at him, the Doctor gave her a reassuring smile before pressing a kiss to her forehead
'If you need anything just shout' he told her sincerely before closing the door. Rose sighed to herself and lent her head back against the wall. She closed her eyes and could feel the mans' sweaty palm on her arm – as real now as it felt in the dream. Rose shivered and opened her eyes; she searched the darkness only to be drawn into the shadows by incoherent whispers. Rose huddled under her covers and prayed for morning to come.
The Doctor rested his head on the back of Roses' door – this wasn't the first time he had been awakened by her shouts – only this time was worse, she sounded petrified, she sounded as though there was something in her room about to kill her – and he was fairly certain that she believed there was. He hadn't run to her room in a blind panic the other times but this time she had sounded different – there was something in her scream that chilled his soul. He ran his fingers through his hair and knew that sleep would be hopeless – he couldn't sleep with the sound of her screams ringing in his ears.
Rose huddled in the darkness trying to block out the screams that weren't hers yet rang in her ears. She held her hands over her ears and closed her eyes. The screams were so real and so intense there was nothing Rose could do but cry and long to join them – instead she slowly began to rock backwards and forwards clutching at her head.
When morning finally came Rose was grateful – she could escape the traumas and the darkness that were contained within her room. She stumbled out of the room clinging onto the Tardis walls as she rubbed her eyes - she hadn't gone back to sleep after her nightmare, she just sat there silently crying into the night and the horrors it held for her. She opened the kitchen door and dropped herself down into the nearest chair – her head sinking into her hands. She was completely oblivious to the Doctor who stood at the counter with a pot of tea
'Good morning' he warmly greeted her
'Is it?' she muttered to herself. He set a mug of steaming tea down in front of her – she gratefully accept it, curling her fingers around the mug she let the hot steam float into her face – she was trying to starve of the chills that were endlessly running through her soul. The Doctor watched her, his eyes knowing, he watched the way her shoulders slumped forward in a position of defeat, he saw the shadows that hung to the back of her eyes, and he saw the forced, strained smile that she tried to offer him as she averted her gaze into the mug and away from his scrutinising eyes. Rose could feel him watching her, assessing her and she didn't like it. The Doctor sat down into the chair next to her and absently stirred his tea with a spoon he had found abandoned on the table, Rose watched his long elegant fingers holding the spoon delicately as he swirled the steaming brown substance. He raised his other hand and gently took hers within it
'Rose…' the Doctor began as he looked at her purposely. She looked down into her tea
'Please. I don't want to talk about it' she quietly pleaded. The Doctor watched her for a moment knowing how much this must be hurting – but he needed to know
'Rose' he began again 'This isn't the first time is it?' he asked softly. He felt a tremor rung through her and squeezed her hand reassuringly
'How do you know?' she weakly asked. He smiled sympathetically
'It's not the first time you've shouted out' he gently told her, she looked up at him – her eyes wide, she was shocked and ashamed
'But you only came tonight?' she questioned curiously and partially hurt
'Tonight was different' he told her sounding perplexed 'The way you screamed… it was as though you really were in fear for your life' he told her gravely. Rose looked down at her hands embarrassed
'I'm sorry' she whispered
'Don't be' he told her squeezing her hand 'I'm just worried about you' he told her softly. She paused a moment before smiling up at him
'Well don't be – I'm fine' she lied trying to reassure him
'Rose…' the Doctor interjected. Rose angrily stood up and turned her back to him
'It was just a dream' she fiercely told him – trying to convince him as well as herself 'that's all it was'
'But Rose, they way you screamed – it was so much more' he told her knowing that she knew – she was just in denial.
'I'm not a child' she warned him 'I know how I'm feeling and I'm fine' she declared forcefully. The Doctor sighed to himself – she could be so stubborn sometimes. He rose from the chair and came to stand behind her, he rested his chin on her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her stomach
'I believe you' he gently told her, she lent back into him savouring his touch and loving how safe it made her feel. She softly sighed against him
'If you ever want to talk – I'm always here' he assured her. She smiled at him and turned around; she buried her head in his chest as he held her close. Moments later when his hearts beat soundly against her ear soothing her she finally felt the heat from his body beginning to warm her.
'It's the same' she whispered
'What is?' he asked as he gently stroked her hair
'The dream – it's always the same. Only each time it gets longer' Rose whispered haunted
'How many times have you had it?' the Doctor asked gently.
'Last night was the forth' she whispered as she buried her head in his shoulder
'Oh Rose' the Doctor murmured
'This time it was different' she whimpered
'How?' he asked holding her tighter
'Normally I can just feel someone watching me – I know they're there chasing me but can't find me. I can feel their anger following me like the wind – but this time there were stairs and I was bleeding' a shiver cut off Roses' whispers
'He was going to get me this time' she whispered before letting her tears fall freely and fastly. It killed the Doctor seeing Rose so scared and upset, his hearts we're strained just listening to her sobs
'Who?' he asked, his voice barely a whisper
'I don't know' Rose truthfully replied 'I never see his face' she whispered – her voice cracking.
'Oh Rose' the Doctor whispered not knowing what to say. He held her tightly as she clung to him, her head resting gently on his shoulder; she sniffled into his shoulder before looking up at him. She'd pushed her fear to the back but the Doctor could still see the shadows that clung to her eyes – he could also see the familiar glint of determination returning. Rose wiped her face and offered him a small smile
'Well they're only dreams' she said trying to shrug them off. The Doctor put his hands on her shoulders – he could feel the tension running through her, it scared him.
'Probably just down to stress' he murmured trying to reassure her, she bit her lip and smiled weakly
'Most likely' she replied. The Doctor watched her for a moment
'I'll take you somewhere nice today' he promised 'somewhere that will let you forget your dreams'
She smiled in thanks
'But you always take me somewhere nice' she said, her familiar grin returning. He winked at her
'Well it will be extra specially nice' he promised as he pressed a kiss to her cheek. The Doctor watched Rose leave the room as he scratched his head – he needed to find the root of these dreams and even more importantly he needed to find somewhere so lovely that the sheer beauty of the place would destroy all the darkness Rose felt.
Rose stood in the shower relishing the feeling of the freezing cold water hitting her body like a thousand shards of glass. She needed the pain, the cold and the wetness to try and awaken her, to try and banish any thoughts of her nightmares. Rose closed her eyes ad ran her fingers through her hair – her mind was starting to clear from the mist it had been in since her dream. She washed her face and opened her eyes – she gasped as she looked down to see her hands dripping with ice cold blood. Rose frantically blinked and then it was gone, she stepped back and lent her head against the shower wall holding her head
'No' she whimpered as she began to feel bruises forming on her skin, her mind was filled with terror induced shrieks – Rose closed her eyes as tears began to fall down her face and mix with the water. She could feel the mans' presence chasing her
'Doctor? Is that you?' she frantically called out begging for it to be him. She shivered under the cool stream of water as she heard a husky voice fuelled by anger screaming at her
'I'm going to catch you' it promised. Rose felt the burning hand on her arm again – she released a scream as she gave into the darkness that was taunting her – calling her. Roses' wet naked body fell to the floor of the shower blocking the drain – the water began to fill the tub.
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